Harmonian Stars
by sebivomeis
Summary: Events at King's Cross turned out differently when Harry arrived far too early and met Hermione instead of the Weasley's. Together they face this new world, determined to make a name for themselves. Harry x Hermione
1. A friend for a neglected soul

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

 **Warnings** : The story...

...might include violence.

...might include (minor/major) character death.

Keep in mind that the rating for this story is **T**. There won't be any mature content, however, it may be inappropriate for children.

Harmonian Stars

A friend for a neglected soul

' _Just leave already. I don't want to see your pathetic face anymore.'_ Those harsh words still echoed in Harry's mind as he hurried through the station. _Don't worry, uncle, I don't want to see your face either._ He was passing the sixth platform, pushing his way through the crowd that was waiting for the train.

The large trolley he pushed made it all a bit easier. Sure, it was heavy with all his stuff – literally everything he owned – stacked on the waggon, but the people instinctively jumped out of his way before he even needed to ask them. And no one was concerned by this eleven-year-old wandering alone over the platform. Behind his bags, he was almost invisible and most people didn't look at him again, once he had passed them. Of course, the visual shield worked both ways and cut down his vision to only a few metres left and right, but this was only a minor setback compared to the advantage of not been seen. Only the white owl in its cage drew the attention of some, but even those who noticed didn't speak up.

 _And don't you dare to get expelled or something. If you return even a day too early, I promise you, you'll spend the night in the park._ It was the last thing Uncle Vernon had shouted before dropping him off at King's Cross Train Station, together with all his bags and the cage for his owl.

 _I'm not an idiot, why would I voluntarily return to the Dursleys if there was the chance of being away a bit longer. Hell, sometimes I would even prefer the park._

His aunt hadn't said a single word at his departure. She had sat in the car and stared at him. There was the usual distasteful gaze, but Harry could have sworn there was something else, something he couldn't quite place. Was it just relieve to finally be rid of him or was there genuine concern for him? They had, after all, abandoned a kid at one of the largest stations in the city looking for a platform that shouldn't even exist.

Whether it was concern or not, Harry couldn't quite bring himself to care. His entire life he had suffered under the hatred of his relatives. _No more, I'm done with them. I won't return until next summer, maybe I can even convince someone to let me stay at the school. Anything would be better than returning to the Dursleys._

He was still pushing his trolley forwards, having just passed platform eight. _Only a bit longer and platform 9 ¾ should be visible…_

He reached the ninth platform without much trouble. It was crowded like most of the others, but not overly so, Harry had enough space to navigate his trolley safely through the hall. For once he cursed his large trolley, though. Behind his boxes and trunks, he couldn't look out for the mysterious platform. He couldn't even see where he was going, so how was he supposed to find the hidden platform?

 _Hagrid said the platform was safe from … muggles. It must be somehow locked away from the crowd or else everyone would enter. I guess the morning will turn into an extensive searching session. At least time is not much of a problem, I'm awfully early anyways._

Indeed he was. The Dursleys couldn't wait to get rid of him and drove off as soon as they woke up. Vernon even set the alarm at 5 o'clock in the morning, a time he would usually consider as inhuman. To get his hated nephew out of the house, though, it couldn't be too early. _Not that I'd complain, I couldn't wait to get away either so he actually did me a favour. Still, it's sad to know that he wouldn't rise that early to prepare his own son's birthday, yet force himself out of his precious sleep to get me away. And I don't think I've ever seen him as happy as today._

The wave of sadness was soon forgotten, though, as Harry turned his attention back to the task at hand: finding the platform. Obviously, it had to be somewhere between the ninth and the tenth platform, closer to the tenth. There weren't too many options, between the rails were only two rows of brick pillars. Those massive columns were wide enough to easily include a door or even a small portal. The only problem was, that there were at least a dozen pillars in each line.

 _I don't even know how to open the door when I find it._ If _I find it._

Harry knew nothing about the hidden entrance, only that it existed and opened to Platform 9 _¾. Maybe it's some kind of test and only those who find the door can go to Hogwarts._

Despite all, Harry was still cheerful. Not only was he away from his relatives – a rare occurrence as he had never been allowed to leave the house safe for going to school as they feared, the neighbours would be offended by his freakishness. He was also going to visit a magical school since he, Harry Potter, was a wizard. If that was no cause for celebration, then none was.

 _Still, I should wait to rejoice until I sit on the train all safe and sound._

Walking through the lines of pillars he eyed them carefully. He brushed his hand against each, sometimes tapping the stone in hopes of finding a hollow spot, but nothing suspicious caught his eye. There were only the massive brick walls without any indication of a hidden door. Not even a single stone was out of place. _Whoever hid the entrance did an amazing job. Or the entrance is somewhere else. Or it doesn't even exist._ He shook his head, ridding his mind of this unwelcome thought.

 _No, this is the correct place. It's between platform nine and ten and much closer to the latter. Another place wouldn't make sense. It must be hidden by magic._

It was the only solution Harry could come up with. Granted, he wasn't too experienced with hidden doors and the like, he hadn't even read an adventure book or had watched a film about some hidden treasure. His uncle never allowed him to visit the local library so the only way to get his hand on a few books was through the pitifully small 'library' at his school.

The library – it wasn't really a library, only two dozens of books and some journals in a cabinet near the secretary's office – only included textbooks and no novels, but even those were better than the monotony at home. And while he doubted he would have been allowed to watch TV if he had asked, there was absolutely no desire to even try. Watching TV always included the living room and that would mean that either Dudley, Petunia or Vernon was present, possibly all of them. No film could compensate the discomfort of sitting next to one of them, so Harry happily avoided the living room. Sadly his only alternative had been his cupboard.

After 11 years of getting locked inside the tiny space under the stair, he had grown at least a bit fond of the place. He still hated it, of course. It was _the_ symbol of how his relatives treated him. Still, it had also been the only place, except for school, where the Dursleys wouldn't bother him. Maybe it was only because both Dudley and Vernon were too fat to stick more than their head through the door and Petunia just didn't care, but to Harry, it didn't really matter as long as they stayed outside and left him alone. And that they did. Unless they found some chores to do, no one would care what he did inside. As long as he stayed silent, he was fine.

Fine, however, was probably not the best description of his current situation. He was still as clueless as before. True, it was only seven o'clock in the morning and he still had about an hour to find the entrance but anxiety still found its way into his heart. _What if I don't find the door? Will someone come to pick me up or are they going to just leave without me?_ He wasn't sure what to expect from this still unknown society of wizards. _Would they care about a lost student?_

He couldn't return to the Dursley's. They implied earlier that they wouldn't accept him back and Harry knew that his uncle would not hesitate to leave his eleven years old nephew on his doorstep. _No, he'd probably drag me in his car, drive off to someplace far away and drop me out there. They couldn't let the neighbours think badly of them._

He couldn't let it come that far, so much he knew. Whatever they did when he returned, Harry wouldn't look forward to either option. More determined than ever he returned to his throughout examination of the next pillar.

He was just about to finish the last of the four sides as someone lightly tapped him on the shoulder. He flinched back, startled by the unexpected touch and crashed right into the person standing behind him. While Harry wasn't heavy – more like thin as a rake – it was enough to send both him and the stranger behind him tumbling over. Surprisingly, Harry didn't meet the hard floor, something had cushioned his fall. For a moment he spaced out, wondering why there was no pain, but the groan from the person below him quickly brought him back to reality.

Wait, a person _below_ him could only mean…

… _Ah, crap._

* * *

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid._ He berated himself as Harry quickly scrambled to his feet, careful not to step on the stranger lying underneath him. He nearly fell again in his hurry, but fortunately for him – and the stranger – he could keep his balance this time. For a split second, he considered to just run as fast as he could, hoping to avoid the trouble that was undoubtedly approaching. But he still had his morals and they were telling him to at least help the man up.

 _Or the girl._ Harry thought as he finally got a look on who he had flattened. She was indeed young, not older than himself, but a bit shorter. Or maybe it was just for the fact that she was still on the floor while Harry was standing.

He immediately crouched down to help her up, but instead of reaching out, he caught himself staring at the girl in front of him. She was… _cute,_ Harry decided for himself. Her hair had fallen in a messy pool around her head like a brown, curly cushion. A small, mousy nose adorned her face and her large brown eyes stared intently at him. No, it was more like glaring…

He snapped out of his trance and refocused on the situation at hand. There was a young girl on the ground, probably hurt and he was the reason for all this. _I just can't stay out of trouble, can I? Maybe I should have gone to 'Brutus School for Difficult Kids' instead of Hogwarts..._ But all of this didn't matter. Here was a child that needed his help and he wouldn't just stand around, staring stupidly while the girl was in pain.

By now, the girl had moved a bit, carefully testing her limbs and attempted to sit up. Halfway done, another groan escaped her lips and her right hand instinctively shot upwards, holding the back of her head. The unexpected pain seemed too much though, and, lacking the support of one hand, the girl slumped back again. She clearly would have hit her head once more, if not for Harry's quick reaction.

He caught the girl right before she hit the ground again and gently lowered her to the floor. "Hey, take it slow," Harry said soothingly to the girl in his arms. "You hit your head pretty hard." There was no blood on his hands, Harry realised and he meant it quite literally. Despite falling head-first on the ground, there was no open wound on the back of her head and he was relieved. _Head injuries are not to be taken lightly._ The teachers at his school had been quite adamant about this fact. Especially since Harry 'fell' down the stairs all the time. Kids could be so cruel…

The girl shifted in his arms and tried to get up again. This time, Harry supported her and he successfully managed to help her in a sitting position.

"Thank you," she whispered and turned to the boy sitting next to her. It was quite the comical sight, the two children sitting on the station's floor amongst all those busy people hurrying up and down the platform. They sat close enough so that people thought them to be siblings or at least close friends.

Harry, however, was oblivious to it all. He only had eyes for the child before him. Her brown hair flowed freely down her neck and over her shoulders. It was still a mess but it was a _good_ mess – if that made sense. The most intriguing feature, however, were her eyes. Gone was the glare he had seen earlier – or had he only imagined it? Instead, Harry looked into those deep, chocolate-coloured orbs. There was nothing but kindness, barely a hint of pain and… was this concern?

His eyes widened and he remembered that he was supposed to say at least something. "Y-you're welcome, I guess?" he stuttered feeling like a complete fool. "I mean it was because of me that we, uh, fell…" _Smooth man, really good. Not!_ A thought crossed Harry's mind, involving him and a train, but he dismissed it before it grew into something even more idiotic.

"No!" the girl exclaimed vehemently, shaking her head furiously, forgetting the pain for a second. It returned twice as violent, however, and she couldn't suppress a painful groan. "It's not your fault," she continued less energetically, but still with enough force to stop his contradiction before it even left his lips. "Rather, it's mine. I shouldn't have startled you. I just thought that…" She stopped and looked at the floor, unwilling to face him. She was clearly embarrassed and Harry couldn't help but wonder why she had actually approached him.

"You looked like you were looking for something," she finally said and returned her focus to the boy next to her. _She's blushing._ He realised and he felt his own cheeks heating up. _I'm not much better._

"You're right, I really did search for something." _I just don't know what I'm really looking for._

"How can you not know that?" the girl asked, voice laced with confusion. _Shit, I didn't realise I spoke out loud._ "You must have had _something_ in mind."

"It doesn't really matter," he mumbled. He hadn't thought about what he would tell if someone asked. There was no way Harry could tell her about Hogwarts, Hagrid made it quite clear. _If nothing else, at least I know not to speak about magic to muggles._ The word 'muggle' still felt strange whenever he used it. It had that certain negative undertone, so similar to an insult. And he certainly couldn't look at people and think of them as 'muggles'. It just seemed wrong to judge them just because they were non-magical. Until a month, Wizards would have called _himself_ a muggle.

"But it should," the girl insisted. "If you lose something you should always try to find it before dismissing it."

"Well, what did you want from me, then. Were you also looking for something?" Harry countered. He knew it was rude, especially since she probably just wanted to help, but he didn't care. His entire life someone had always known everything better and found the need to rub it in his face. And now, some random girl did the exact same thing. He didn't like it. Even if she was kinda cute.

"No, of course not," she said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You looked so lost there, I just wanted to help."

 _Of course, she would._ Harry scolded himself. _Not everyone is my uncle. How could I compare her to him?_

"I'm sorry," Harry said. He truly was. Usually, he wasn't so straightforward with people and almost never so rude. Especially not to a stranger. Who wanted to help him. And whom he had hurt just a few minutes earlier. "I'm a bit on edge, right now. My train is leaving in an hour for my new school. It's some boarding school, you know?" She nodded understandingly.

"I've just never been on my own for so long before." _A lie. I've been on my own for years. Practically my entire life. "_ In fact, I've never been outside of London before." So much was true. The Dursleys never took him on their annual vacation. They'd leave him alone in the house, disconnecting the TV and locking the front door. He knew better than to climb out the window, the neighbours would immediately notice. There would be just him and a full (or sometimes not so full) fridge. Those were the best days of the year.

"I see. We're actually more alike than we had thought. I'm also leaving to a boarding school, but at least I've always been rather independent." She didn't elaborate further, but Harry didn't need her too. He'd seen the signs, the bossy arguing about his 'supposedly' lost stuff, the way she had studied her feet when she said to be more independent than expected from her. He pitied her. Harry knew about bullying, having experienced it first-hand. It was always ugly, one way or another, whether it was verbal or took a physical form.

"Will we ever see each other again, once our trains leave?" He wondered. It felt strange to actually miss someone, but with this girl, he had that weird feeling that they could actually become friends. And he didn't even know her name…

„I doubt it," she said, not looking at him. "I mean, it's a small world and stuff, but the probability that we meet again is just so small… Unless of course…" she trailed off, hesitant to finish her sentence. "Is your school by any chance called Hogwarts?"

…

…

"No way," he whispered, disbelieve clearly audible. And visible as he stared at the girl with wide eyes, mouth agape. "You're a witch?"

She grinned and it was all the answer he needed. No one would see a compliment in being a witch except for… well, a witch.

"And you're a wizard." Harry could only nod. "I can't believe it," she continued, her enthusiasm growing as she talked. "The chances that two Hogwarts-students meet here, in the middle of the station… It's close to a miracle. I've read that all the older families would apparate right onto the platform. Maybe it's destiny that we've met here."

Destiny or not, Harry didn't care. All he knew was that he was, for once, a damn lucky boy. _Ha, karma might be a bitch, but not today!_ Maybe he'd just made his first friend.

They were still sitting on the ground, Harry realised, but he didn't make any move to stand up. And why should he? He didn't mind the floor and the girl didn't seem to either.

"But if it was destiny then someone would have wanted us to meet and that is weird. I mean, why should…"

A soft 'shh' from Harry stopped her rambling. She looked up and stared at him with those wide, brown eyes. "It doesn't matter if it was destiny or luck or whatever brought us together, I'm just happy that we have met. This is all new to me, but at least I'm not alone now. That is if you want to be my friend."

That last sentence was barely more than a whisper, but to Harry, it seemed as if he had screamed it for the whole world to hear. It was an unknown feeling to talk about his insecurities. He didn't even know why exactly he had brought up this topic, it just seemed the right thing to do. _I mean, what can I lose? The nonexisting friendship with a girl of whom I don't even know the name of? On the other hand, I can win… Everything. If we can get closer, she'd be my very first friend, both magical and non-magical._

"Of course, I want to be your friend, silly. But I'm afraid I won't be much help, I'm new to this world as well. I've read all the books, of course, but there are still so many things that I don't understand. Do you think we'll be able to keep up with the students from a magical family? They have so much more experience and are used to all this magical stuff…" Again, she was interrupted by Harry, but this time he threw his arms around her, catching the girl in a tight embrace.

Harry was confused. One moment he was listening to the girl he had met just five minutes prior and the next he felt an overwhelming urge to hug her. Caught off guard by his own thoughts he had already thrown his arms around the girl before he had realised what he was doing. He felt her stiffen in his embrace, clearly not expecting the sudden contact, but to his amazement, she soon relaxed and tentatively brought her own arms up. At this point, Harry knew his life would change, and it would change for the better.

"I'm Harry. Harry Potter," he whispered still holding the girl in his arms.

"Pleased to meet you," she answered politely and both giggled at their childish display of a formal greeting. "I'm Hermione Granger."

It was a heart-warming sight, the two children holding each other tightly. But for the two of them, it was much more, the beginning of a friendship, closer than everything they had imagined.

* * *

Hermione was laughing. She couldn't help it, this was just too funny. And the sight of Harry didn't help either. He was pouting and looked like an upset five years old. It was just too adorable.

They had finally moved from the floor and were now looking for the hidden entrance to Platform 9¾. Though actually, it was more like Hermione showing Harry where the enchanted pillar was. To Harry's annoyance and Hermione's amusement, it was one of the columns that he had already examined.

It wasn't that the girl was laughing at Harry because he didn't find the entrance, no, with the nonexisting explanation from Hagrid there was no way Harry would have never found it on his own – after all, this entrance was designed to keep everyone non-magical away and thus was untraceable with muggle means. The funny thing about this all was Harry's reaction. He was throwing a fit about Hagrid not telling him and wizards being too secretive – and witches as well he had added to her delight. And while he didn't really mean anything of what he said, it was still hilarious.

"Come on, Harry, I'm sure he'd just forgotten to tell you," Hermione reassured him. Harry nodded hesitantly but wasn't convinced yet. There was this nagging feeling that it was part of something bigger than just the forgetfulness of the kind half-giant.

"But what if he hasn't just forgotten to tell?" Harry continued to press this matter. "I would have never found the entrance on my own and no one could predict that I would be running into somebody who'd help me. You said so yourself, chances to meet a wizard here are pretty low."

"You're right," Hermione said. She paused for a second before going on. "Maybe he wanted you to meet someone who would be new to this world as well. So you wouldn't be alone."

"Or maybe he just didn't want me in Hogwarts at all," Harry muttered unhappily to himself yet loud enough for Hermione to hear him.

"That's not a nice thing to say, Harry. You barely know him and he doesn't know you. Why should he hold a grudge against you."

 _I was wondering about the same thing all the time, back in school, until I just accepted that no one really likes me._ "I don't know, he knew my parents. Maybe they…" he broke off realising his mistake. Hagrid had spoken so highly about his parents they must have been close friends. "No, that doesn't fit…"

"See," the girl said happily. "No need to get all paranoid. Although… It could be that he'd spoken to a magical family to show you the way to the platform."

"That would make sense. Hagrid seemed so disappointed that he couldn't accompany me himself. Asking someone to pick me up might be his way of setting things right."

"You want to wait then?"

Harry's gaze searched one of the prominent clocks that were scattered all over the station. It showed 7:10, by far enough time to get to the hidden train especially since he now knew about the entrance. Still, the thought of waiting for someone who he didn't even know whether they should come or not didn't appeal to him so he only shook his head.

"Nah, I'm sure it's best to go through the wall as soon as possible. The train must be crowded and the trip will surely be more comfortable if we find a seat," he said. "Also, if anybody should try to meet me here, they'll also find us on the train."

Hermione nodded in agreement and they approached the portal together, each with their own share of bags and boxes (and a cage in Harry's case). Standing in front of the massive wall, Harry suddenly felt very small. It was not because of the large column but rather what they represented that made him so nervous. Stepping through would mark the beginning of an entirely new life and he wasn't sure if he was up to the challenge. Sure, there was nothing to lose except for the Dursleys – and that was more likely an improvement – but there was so much that could go wrong anyways. It felt like he was moving to a different country without a chance to prepare himself.

He glanced at the girl beside him, looking for comfort or reassurance or whatever he had hoped he would find. Instead, he saw a girl just as frightened as him, maybe even more so. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks and her hands were clutching the handles of her trolley so fiercely, it seemed she had to forcibly stop herself from turning and running away.

Harry slowly reached out and brushed with his free hand over hers. To Harry's satisfaction, Hermione didn't withdraw her hand. Instead, she took his hand in hers and squeezed it, tightly but not enough to be uncomfortable.

Neither said a word, but they felt the other and that was so much better. Together they started to run, hands still tightly entwined, towards their new life on the other side of the wall.


	2. To Complete the Circle

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Harmonian Stars

To Complete the Circle

Harry Potter was running into a wall. Literally. Harry Potter was running _into_ the wall, running _inside_ the wall, and running _through_ the wall. And all that without some huge drilling machine.

 _It's magic._ That was the only explanation he could come up with. But really, running through a wall which seemed to be perfectly solid just moments before? It seemed insane especially considering that he had just examined the exact spot a few minutes ago. And had labelled it as solid stone for crying out loud! Why didn't the portal open previously? _It's magic._

Indeed, it was magic. The entrance was considered a magical masterpiece even nowadays. After the wizarding community disappeared from the muggle world in medieval times, the most renown wizards had worked together to create this portal.

Of course, the original idea was not to hide an additional platform on a train station. The first wall had been at the back of a small cottage outside the city walls of London. The portal was supposed to hide every wizard who marched through from muggle eyes. Every non-magical being who laid eyes on a wizard who had passed the wall a few hours ago suddenly lost interest in the wizard and didn't spare them a second glance. This way the students could safely be brought to Hogwarts (which had been built just a few years prior). By horse-drawn carriage, of course, not by train. Also, wizards had used real horses as the Thestrals weren't yet discovered.

When Harry stumbled on the platform behind the wall the first thing he did was to check on his new friend. Despite running together Harry arrived first and waited on Hermione to emerge from the wall. About five seconds later she did…

… and fell right into the unsuspecting boy. Amazingly, though, Harry reacted quick enough to not only catch the girl but also without losing balance.

"Let's not make a habit of crashing into each other," Harry joked as he helped Hermione to regain her footing. She seemed a bit dazed, either from getting sucked through a wall or from the unexpected collision and gladly took the hand Harry offered.

"Ugh, that was worse than any roller coaster," Hermione said while shaking her head to get rid of the dizziness. "And here I thought it was more like a curtain."

"It was quite rough," Harry agreed. "But at least it worked." He inwardly shuddered at the thought of getting stuck between the muggle and the magical platform. While travelling through, there had been a short moment of darkness. As if everything had simply vanished, the world swallowed by the void that had surrounded him.

"Thanks for the catch, by the way," Hermione said and removed her hand from Harry's. "Let's get going, shall we?"

The platform was beautiful. Despite having heard about the Hogwarts Express, nothing could have prepared the two teens for the stunning sight in front of them. It was like a picture from a fairytale. A large steam engine stood majestically, polished till it sparkled in the faint light of torches that illuminated the entire platform. There were waggons behind the engine, each large enough for a hundred students or more. The doors were wide open and a warm light drew the children closer to the train.

Pushing their trolleys they silently moved further onto the platform. Neither said anything, awestruck as they were, both Harry and Hermione didn't find any appropriate word. They could only admire the beauty that stood before them.

It was Hermione who found her voice first. "Oh Harry, it's beautiful."

Harry only nodded, not trusting his voice yet. It was more than he had ever expected.

"Look, Harry, the steam." Hermione squealed and pointed at the air over the large locomotive. Harry followed her hand with his eyes and his jaw dropped once again. White steam was floating out the chimney of the train but that was to be expected. The shapes that the steam formed, however, were not. Animals of all size leapt from the train and rose towards the high ceiling. A bunny hopped through the air, chased by a small fox until they both fused and formed a huge dragon. It was floating over the platform defying normal physic as it rose and fell, all while flapping its wings like a real dragon would do. _A real dragon? All this magic must get to my head._

The stream of creatures wouldn't cease, more and more would appear, changing forms several times until they finally disappeared through the open back of the hall.

The platform was fairly empty, far more so than they had expected. Ater all, in only 40 minutes the train would leave towards Hogwarts. Harry had expected the station to be flooded by students and their parents. Instead, only a small group of older students, fifth or sixth year maybe, stood by one of the large fireplaces. Seven of them were lined up on one wall, but neither was lightened. They were only big, dark holes in the otherwise flawless brickwork.

"Where are all the students?" Harry voiced his confusion. The lack of an answer told him that Hermione didn't know either. "I have expected this place to be crowded or at least decently jammed. Is everyone already on the train?"

"I don't know, but I think it'd be best to enter quickly," Hermione replied. Her gaze had left the wondrous image of mist-animals in the air and roamed through the hall, searching for someone their own age. "If it's not crowded here, then the train must be stuffed with students. I hope we'll find an empty compartment or at least some seats with fellow classmates. I'd hate to sit with older students the entire trip."

Harry was quick to agree. He wouldn't mind sitting with students of higher years, they at least would leave them alone. But an empty compartment sounded even better so they started towards the inviting doors. He was anxious to meet other wizards but tried his best to keep a cool face. Not only for his own sake but also for Hermione. The girl seemed every bit as scared as him, she just didn't hide it. He considered reaching for her hand once more to calm them both but karma had different ideas.

A green light flashed through the hall accompanied by shouting and the sound of a body hitting the floor. Hermione shrieked and her hand grasped his arm, clutching the poor limb like her life depended on it. Harry flinches as well just not as vocal as the girl next to him. His free hand instinctively moved to his forehead, touching the scar through his black hair. The light seemed familiar, he just couldn't remember where he'd seen it before.

As they turned, the commotion had already calmed down again. Green fire still lingered in the fireplace there the small group stood. A boy picked himself up from the floor, his friends were offering him a hand that he gladly accepted.

Harry blinked. His eyes had to play him a trick. _Just seconds ago, there have been only four boys. Now there are five, but he appeared out of nowhere. Did he emerge from the fireplace? Is that even possible?_

Magic, he reminded himself, made many things possible, so why should he be startled by a boy appearing in a burst of fire? Green fire to be precise.

"So that's how travelling by Floo-Powder looks like," Hermione answered his unasked question. She had regained her composure and released Harry's arm. Red imprints formed where she had clamped his arm.

"That's how wizards travel?" Harry asked incredulously. "It doesn't seem too comfortable."

"It isn't meant to be," Hermione explained eagerly. "Most wizarding homes are connected to the Floo Network, a national accumulation of fireplaces in Britain. You just throw in some Floo Powder and voice where you want to go and ' _whoosh'_ you appear in the chimney of your destination. There are also some larger Floo Stations like in the ministry or here apparently, where many fireplaces are in one spot. It must be crowded here, usually, or they wouldn't need the Floo Station."

"If they can just appear on the platform, maybe they'll all arrive right before the train leaves. They wouldn't need to waste time searching for the entrance like I did." He was still sulking about Hagrid's incompetence but he'd accepted that the half-giant probably had nothing bad in mind.

"Then let's get inside to prove our theory."

•••

To their utmost surprise, Harry had been right. The train was as empty as the platform, only now and then the two found a filled compartment. Otherwise, the waggon was empty and they had free seating. They had chosen a compartment at the back of the train hoping to largely stay away from the crowd yet not at the very end of the row to increase their chance of meeting some of their future classmates.

They had no such luck, though. For the next thirty minutes, they stayed by themselves, talking about non-wizarding school and which house they had hoped to get sorted in (Hermione was determined to become a future Ravenclaw, whereas Harry rather hoped to get sorted in Gryffindor like his parents had been).

It was an entirely new experience for Harry to talk without the need to prove _something_. There was no one he had to convince that he would be a worthy friend because no one would _judge_ him. On the contrary, Hermione even urged him to be less closed in and tell exactly what he felt.

"Don't hide because of who you think you are. I'm your friend, I won't abandon you when we disagree on something."

"But you don't even know me. I could be evil for all you know."

"Are you evil?"

"Of course not," he answered immediately and more forceful than he had wanted.

"See, you're not evil. And I trust you not to be a liar either."

"I'm not. But that doesn't change anything. How can I feel certain that you won't turn me down when you get bored with me?" His greatest fear, the thought that had haunted him since they settled in the compartment a few hours ago.

Hermione remained silent, feeding his insecurity until it threatened to eat away his sanity like the wild beast it was. The cage in his mind had long since shattered, kindergarten and elementary school made sure of that. Not to mention his life with the Dursleys. He had been alone, though, always alone and while it was horrible he at least had been spared the pain of losing someone close to him.

Here he was, now, sitting with the first and only person he considered a friend. Harry didn't want to lose her, hell, he didn't even want to _think_ about her disappearing from his life. She was his friend after all. But he also wanted to be sure that their friendship lasted longer than just the ride to Hogwarts. And if that seemed impossible then he at least wanted to know that he shouldn't hope for more than a decent conversation every now and then.

"I can't guarantee you that," the girl said and Harry's hope shattered. _Great job, Harry. Messing up your first friendship within three hours. What was I thinking, crying about trust and betrayal as if I knew anything about it!_

Hermione must have noticed his distress and continued before his negative thoughts could take over entirely. "But you're my first friend. I'd never betray our friendship. I might get angry, sometimes, and even bored but that's not a reason to abandon you. Rather it's a sign that we've become so close that there's just nothing else to discover about the other. No, I'm certain we'll stick together. As long as _you_ don't get bored with _me_!"

"Why should I get bored with you?"

"Exactly, why should you? Why should I? Our friendship is still young, there's so much we can do."

"And with magic, I doubt that the studies will be dull," Harry added directing the conversation in a more carefree direction. He didn't want to talk about friendship anymore. It was childish. Nobody could predict where they would stand in a few months but Harry liked to think that they would still be close.

"Indeed, I'm very much looking forward to the first lessons. I can't wait to try out some real spells."

"Do you think we'll even be allowed to perform magic in our first year? I mean, a month ago we didn't even know magic existed." Harry hoped he was wrong, but from what he had heard about non-magical studies like medicine there was always a long, purely theoretic part before the practical work started.

"I _know_ that we'll do magic. It's part of the curriculum. Nearly all the books include spells and wand movements. They'll be of no use if we can't practice them." Hermione explained. She had worked through all of her books already and only the 'Basic Potions' didn't mention any spellcasting. It actually even advised against the use of magic, even for stirring the cauldron. Only someone who had studied Potioneering for several years could safely predict the effects of magic on the brewing.

"Sadly I didn't read the books," Harry grumbled, causing his friend to gasp at the revelation.

"Y-you… how? Why didn't you read them? Weren't you curious? I certainly was, I couldn't put them away, even read at night to the displeasure of my parents."

"It wasn't that I didn't _want_ to read them," Harry replied defensively. "I simply wasn't _allowed_ to read them or even touch anything related to magic."

"But that doesn't make any sense. Aren't your parents curious about magic? And if they were so afraid, why would they still send you to Hogwarts."

There it was, the dreaded moment that Harry had tried to prolong for as much as possible. His dead parents, cruel relatives and horrible childhood. He couldn't conceal them forever but he had hoped to avoid the topic at least till he and Hermione were closer. To no avail, apparently. He couldn't talk himself out of it, Hermione would immediately uncover any lie simply for the fact that he was a pretty bad liar – even his uncle sometimes caught him and he was certainly not the sharpest tool in the box.

 _No time like the present, I guess. Let's see if she's as understanding as she claims to be._

•••

Confessing turned out to work far better than Harry had thought. Hermione had been sympathetic throughout the entire talk. She had, of course, pitied him but that was to be expected. Really, it would have been weird if she didn't. Even his status in the wizarding world didn't seem to bother her.

Harry had feared that part the most. It had been the less emotional part, however, it did hold the chance for Hermione to reject him because of all his fame – unwanted or not. But when he was finished the girl only wrapped her arms around him and hold him close, mumbling about burning a book she had bought that focused on all his heroic accomplishments in his childhood.

Hermione actually carried the book with her and they decided that, while the book was filled with erroneous facts, they could still use it to enjoy some ridiculous tales.

"Look, Hermione, I got _two_ familiars, a Phoenix and a Chimaera. I wonder how I could have missed them, they are supposed to follow me wherever I go."

"I bet you can also turn them invisible with a wave of your hand." Hermione joked and flicked her wrist as if she was attempting to do wandless magic. "But that's unrealistic even for a book like this. No one can have more than one familiar, they would just battle each other for the attention of the witch or wizard."

"You know, I'm just so awesome, I can have as many familiars as I want."

Both went on like this for quite some time until they were disturbed by a timid knock on the door to their compartment. They almost didn't hear the faint sound between their joking, but when Harry finally realised there was someone in front of their door he shot a questioning gaze towards Hermione.

He was met with the same confusion, that he felt. Neither had expected anyone to come to their compartment, after all, it had been almost three hours since their departure.

 _Who would want to speak with us? Who does even_ know _where we are?_

"It's probably the 'Honeydukes Express'," Hermione said. At Harry's confused expression she elaborated further. "It's basically just a witch who sells candy to the students. Honeydukes is the name of the shop where the sweets come from."

She moved to open the door, but whoever was outside beat her to it. The sliding door was opened and revealed a young boy, not much older than the two of them. _I hope that's not the Honeydukes Express._

The boy seemed nervous, scared even, hiding behind the halfway opened door. "Uuh, h-have you seen a t-toad?" he stuttered not looking at anyone but studying the floor in front of him. "I l-lost mine."

It was a sorry sight, the boy – whoever he was – appeared to be totally devastated by the loss of his pet, but at the same time, he seemed too anxious to search for it properly. Pity welled in him, especially since Harry knew that there was no toad in their compartment. The door had been firmly shut throughout the entire ride and he highly doubted that the animal had been inside the whole time.

"Sorry, but we haven't seen any toad," Harry replied sadly. At this, the other boy shrank even further if that was possible. He seemed miserable, muttering about this being one of the last compartments and something else that Harry couldn't understand.

"But we could help you find it, right Harry?" Hermione finished giving Harry a glance, waiting for his approval. He gave a short nod. "Sure, we'd be happy to help. You're a First Year as well?" he guessed. When the other boy only nodded Harry continued.

"I'm Harry and that's Hermione," he introduced them while smiling friendly. Or at least he hoped it was friendly and not downright creepy. He had never been good at approaching other people. _But neither is anyone else in the room, so it's fine I guess._

"I'm Neville Longbottom," the boy told them. He stood a bit taller now, his fear still visible but not as obvious as before. Then his eyes widened and he turned to Harry. "You're Harry? H-harry Potter?"

"Yeah," he answered timidly. He was very much aware of his celebrity status in the wizarding world and while he wasn't too fond of it, it was much better than the downright hatred he'd receive from his relatives. Right now, however, being famous showed his downsides.

"S-s-sorry, I d-didn't mean t-to impose on y-you." Neville's stutter was worse than ever. True, it wasn't every day that you stumble over a celebrity, but Harry still hated to cause such feelings. Especially with his future classmates. How was he supposed to find friends if everybody would treat him like someone special? _Well, it worked with Hermione, didn't it?_

Lost in his thoughts he'd almost missed how Neville tried to slip away.

"Neville," he called out and said boy froze in his tracks. "Come back in." It sounded more like an order than an invitation. Still, Neville remained outside although he hadn't fled. Yet.

"Y-you don't h-have to…" Neville started but was interrupted by a visibly annoyed Hermione.

"Oh, come on!" she huffed and grabbed Neville by the sleeve of his robes. "We won't bite your head off." Then she simply pulled the boy back in the compartment, ignoring his weak struggling.

•••

"So, Neville, you said your toad went missing?" Hermione started the conversation. The three had sat down, Hermione and Harry at on side and Neville opposite to them.

"Yeah, h-he just jumped a-away and into t-the crowd," Neville muttered embarrassed. He still wasn't looking at anything but his own feet and he clearly wasn't looking for his toad right now. "H-he's called Trevor…"

"I'm sure he'll come back soon. He's your familiar, right?" When Neville nodded she continued. "I've read that a bonded animal can always find their master. As long as they are not too far apart."

"But what if he's h-hurt? What if s-someone stepped on him a-and he's laying somewhere in t-the hallway, unable t-to move?"

"I'm sure he's alright," Harry said before Neville would honestly believe that his precious toad was lost forever. "If Trevor's your familiar then he must be extraordinary bright for a toad. I mean, only the most clever animals would dare to bind themselves to a human, wouldn't they?"

"If you s-say so…" Neville said, not entirely convinced. Nevertheless, he seemed more relaxed than just minutes before, sitting straight and actually looking at the two other occupants of the compartment.

"We could still help you to find your toad, Neville," Hermione said glancing reassuringly at Harry who nodded slightly. "Three pairs of eyes might succeed where one failed."

"Oh n-no no no, you d-don't have t-to help me," Neville rejected their offer energetically. "I've already b-been enough of a b-bother." His stuttering worsened the longer he spoke and the anxiety that had haunted his features earlier had returned. Neville was obviously scared of them, especially of Harry. Whenever he spoke he stole quick glances at the other boy as if waiting for his affirmation or rejection.

"You're not a bother; in fact, we'd be happy to help you," Harry interjected. He didn't know where his confidence came from but neither did he care nor did he complain. Normally it would be the other way round; he'd be in distress and in need of help. However, no one ever offered him any and he had soon learned not to ask. It only gave the other kids one more reason to taunt him.

This time, though, the situation was inverted, and he was willing to help this boy. He wouldn't, no _couldn't_ stand aside when someone was desperate. How many times had he wished someone would interfere when Dudley and his friends had bullied him at the playground, dumped his homework in the toilet, or stole even the tiny snack that his aunt had given him in the morning. No one ever did, and that caused him just as much pain as the actual bullying.

"B-but w-why would…" Neville started but Hermione interfered before he could finish his sentence.

"Don't you dare to finish that sentence, or I might actually consider rethinking my offer."

Neville's mouth immediately snapped shut, and Harry felt slightly bad. But only a little bit. _I mean we_ did _kind of boss him into accepting our help. He just wouldn't accept any, or at least our, assistance without pressuring him._

"He's just Harry," Hermione continued. "No offence to you," she sheepishly added, glancing at the black haired boy.

"None taken," Harry said with a wave of his hand. He didn't feel insulted. If anything he even felt glad that Hermione saw him as _just_ _Harry_ – he was just Harry after all.

"You have to ignore that he's supposed to be famous because he doesn't _want_ to be famous. He's Harry Potter and he's just like you and me."

"I'm possibly even more nervous than you, Neville," Harry said. At the other boy's incredulous face, he elaborated. "A month ago I didn't even know that magic existed outside of my dreams. You see, I was raised by muggles and have no clue about anything magical. This is all new for me. For the both of us, Hermione here is muggle-born."

It was a lot to take in for Neville, and while he was obviously startled about Harry being raised as a muggle he appeared to be glad to be of some help. He was raised to be the successor of his aunt and head of house Longbottom thus knew much about the wizarding world in general.

"I c-could help you with that," Neville proposed to his fellow classmates. He was trying his best to push away his anxiety and while he was not overly successful, he had at least gathered enough courage to offer his advice. "That is if you like me to…"

"We'd love to accept your help, Neville," Hermione interrupted him before his self-doubt resurfaced. "But first, let's find your toad."

•••

Deciding to split up search more effectively, Harry turned to the shorter end of the train. Neville was still uncomfortable around him, giving his shy nature it was no surprise. Still, it pained Harry that his status in the wizarding world seemed to repulse his peer. _It's not as if I_ wanted _to be famous, hell I'd give all the fame in this world if it meant my parents would be still alive. This stupid "Boy-Who-Lived" tale makes everything so much harder. And here I thought being famous was a nice thing._

He continued to stroll through the train looking into one of the compartments lined left and right of the aisle. Most were empty; fortunately, not too many students choose to sit at the very end of the train and those who did were either just as reserved as himself or snogging like there was no tomorrow. There was still no trace of Trevor, though. The toad stayed hidden wherever it – or he – was.

 _If I was a toad, where would I go?_ Harry wondered. The answer was obvious and his mood improved. _Somewhere wet, of course. The bathroom._

Unfortunately, the bathroom was at the centre of the train but Harry didn't mind the short trip. He had been sitting for too long anyway.

When he entered the bathroom only one thought crossed his mind. _How can it be so huge?_ Indeed, the room was easily twice as wide as the train itself and more than 50 metres long _. That makes no sense, how can this room be larger than the train? It should be impossible._ Then a second thought crossed his mind and he sighed getting more and more annoyed at his task. _It'll take_ ages _to search every corner of this gigantic bathroom._

Luckily for him, Harry was wrong. After only a few minutes he found a frightened toad – at least it looked quite scared, cowering underneath one of the toilet-bowls – and went to fetch it. Here, however, the real problem revealed itself: how to convince the toad not to jump away from him.

"Come on you little bugger, stand still for once. I'm not going to hurt you." Harry cursed as Trevor has once again evaded his hands. _I thought you were supposed to be a clever toad._ Clever or not, Trevor desperately hopped around the bathroom further away from the young boy.

 _Damn it. At this rate, I'll never catch him._ He raced behind the little animal, trying to corner it but the slippery creature jumped aside just in time. _A bit of magic would be really useful now._

Right on cue, a voice pierced through the tense silence inside the bathroom.

"Wingardium Leviosa," someone shouted behind him and the toad froze in mid-jump. It was visibly struggling against the invisible force that held him in the air but its attempt was futile as the magic holding him in place was much stronger. Then, slowly, the animal was levitated right in Harry's awaiting hands.

Grasping the shaking animal tightly, Harry turned to face the newcomer. There, close to the entrance stood a boy, not much older than Harry himself. His bright blonde hair and the outstretched wand were his most prominent features right after the school robe. The boy wore a smug smile and looked overly proud of himself, even a bit arrogant. _Maybe he's just glad that the spell worked._

"Thank you," Harry said with genuine gratitude. It would have taken so much longer without any help.

The blonde boy just nodded. "I'm Draco," he introduced himself. "Draco Malfoy." He emphasised his surname as if it was something special. Was he famous as well?

"I'm Harry Potter, nice to meet you." Usually, he wouldn'

t use his family name for an introduction. When he was still in a regular school all he knew about his parents was that they were alcoholics and died in a car accident. He wasn't really proud of his name back then. Now, it was completely the opposite. His surname seemed intimidating to his peer, Neville would have rather be alone than with him hadn't Hermione practically forced him into their compartment. With this boy – Draco, he reminded himself – it seemed different. Like he'd actually prefer to be his friend _because_ of his name.

"I know," Draco answered with the same smug smile that he has shown after levitating the toad. "Is this your toad?"

Harry ignored the blonde's conceited attitude but still answered the question; anything less would be rude especially considering that Draco did just help him catching Trevor. "No, it's not mine. I'm helping a friend who lost his."

Friend, the word came so easily to him, it almost surprised him. He didn't mind, though, if anything he was glad to have someone to consider a friend. And it felt good to know that he wouldn't be alone anymore.

"Let me guess, it's Longbottom's pet?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Oh, he just seemed the kind of boy to keep a toad as a pet. It probably suits him to have something living around that's even dumber than him." Harry's eyes widened at the blunt insult. He never liked people to insult him behind his back and he had enough experience in that area. However, he realized that talking with him about his friends in an insulting way was even worse. _And here I thought we could actually become friends. Turned out he…_

"Hey, just kidding," Draco laughed at Harry's grim expression. "He's quite a decent bloke. But, just between us of course, he is a bit _slow_ sometimes. You know, in his…"

"I know what you mean," Harry growled, still not satisfied with Draco's comments about his first male friend. "He's just shy." _And that's not a crime, who'd be confident on their first day in a totally new environment? Except for Mr Blonde here, of course._

Harry surprised himself with his thought. He'd never used nicknames for anyone, not even secretly in his mind. And especially not for someone he'd just met.

"Yeah, that's Neville. I wonder whom he'd gotten this from. Not from his grandmother, that's for sure. I've heard she had once talked down even the minister of magic. In his own bureau. I tell you, never get on the wrong side of Augusta Longbottom. She's a fury when angry. Or upset. Or anything other than pleased."

"No wonder Neville is so careful around us with a grandmother like that. Is at least the rest of his family any better?"

"The rest? What do you…" Draco started and his constant smile dropped for the first time and changed into a confused look. His smile reappeared almost instantly, though, and Harry wondered if he hadn't just imagined the frown on the blonde's face. "Oh, I get it," Draco continued. "But you better ask Neville himself about that, it's not my story to tell."

After that, a tense silence spread between the boys only interrupted by Harry's invitation for Draco to sit with them for the rest of the ride. Surprisingly, Draco readily accepted more than glad to leave his previous company behind.

"You see, my _friends_ are actually the sons of some acquaintances of my father," Draco said when they made their way to the compartment Harry shared with Neville and Hermione. "They are basically morons. Fat and stupid. Goyle actually tried to eat one of the fish in our pond because ' _it looked so tasty_ '. Not to mention that it was a special breed of Japanese Koi, damn expensive as well…" The boys had a good laugh at the expense of Crabbe and Goyle, Harry even added Dudley into the fun as he really fit into the same category: fat, stupid and ready to do anything for more food.

He didn't tell him about his own upbringing under muggles, though, to avoid uncomfortable questions about his family. _Although he probably already knows about my parent's death. Everybody with a magical background seemed to know more than even myself._

Before they knew, the two were standing at the compartment door. With a single knock as an announcement, Harry pushed the door open and entered, Draco right behind him.

"Hey H-harry," Neville greeted him cheerfully, shyly waving him to come in. Then his eyes fell on the blonde still halfway outsides. "Draco? T-that's a s-surprise. What are y-you d-doing here? Hiding from C-crabbe and Goyle?"

"Something like this," Draco muttered and fully entered the compartment falling in a seat next to the shy boy.

"Hi Neville," Harry said equally cheerful. "Where's Hermione?"

"Oh, s-she went looking f-for you just a few m-minutes ago. Because w-we found T-trevor, you know." _What? They found Trevor?_ We _found Trevor!_

Confusion was clearly written on Harry's face but Neville interpreted it falsely. "W-who'd have g-guessed we'd find him, huh?"

"B-b-but I thought…" Harry stammered, not comprehending the situation. "If you found Trevor, what's _that_?" He opened his hands to give a better view to the amphibian in his grasp.

Neville's eyes widened, mirroring the confusion in Harry's. "N-no idea. I'm s-sure that's Trevor." He pulled another toad from the box on the otherwise empty seat next to him. It was nearly three times the size of the toad in Harry's hands and wasn't struggling at all.

"What the hell, it was all for nothing?" It was Draco who'd raised his voice exclaiming his displeasure.

"S-shouldn't y-you know w-what Trevor looks like?" Harry shot an accusing glance at the blonde that didn't go unnoticed the receiver.

"Hey, don't look at me like that. They are all toads, they all look the same."

"But the real Trevor is so much larger, shouldn't you have noticed?"

"Uh, no?" Was the only answer.

"We've essentially just kidnapped someone's toad," Harry concluded, still glaring at Draco. "What are we gonna do with it?"

He was just finished when suddenly Neville jumped from his seat and bolted through the compartment causing both Harry and Draco to flinch at the sudden outburst of movement.

"Crap…" he muttered when he came to a stop at the window. The open window. "I-it j-just jumped through t-the gap."

"Well, that answers the question," Draco said matter-of-factly while quickly closing the window. Harry just stared dumbfounded out the window, not yet accepting that the toad had literally committed suicide.

"Let's just hope no one's looking for it," he finally said and slumped into a seat.

It wasn't for long that a timid knock was heard from the door. Harry, expecting to see Hermione on the other side, hastily shoved the door aside. Instead of the familiar girl, though, an older boy was standing outside, fidgeting on his spot.

"Excuse me, have you seen a toad? It's very small and probably very scared. I'd hate myself if something happened to it…"

•••

Only a few more minuted had passed when the compartment door was shoved open once more. This time it was the bushy haired girl and she gave a small wave to everyone before settling down next to Harry.

"I'm so glad to see you here, Harry. I couldn't find you anywhere in the train."

"It's alright, I was in the bathroom, looking for Trevor. Thanks for caring, though," Harry explained his disappearance. He was glad that Hermione tried to find him. Even if it had been in vain, the mere thought showed how much she cared for Harry.

"Oh, it was nothing, really." Then her gaze fell on Draco and her eyes widened.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there," the girl apologized, blushing in embarrassment. "I'm Hermione." She extended her hand for Draco to shake. The boy, however, only warily glanced at the offered handshake and ignored it altogether.

"Draco," he grunted, sneering at the brunette.

"Nice to meet you," Hermione said diplomatically but retreated her hand and returned the stare she was receiving from the boy.

"No, it's certainly not _nice_ to meet you." He received an elbow in his ribs from Neville but the words were already said and the damage done.

"W-what..." Hermione was at a loss for words. She couldn't believe he had thrown an insult right in her face after only just meeting her. What could she have possibly done to deserve such a treatment? Was it because she was a girl? She had read that some pubescent boys felt quite uncomfortable around the other gender. Draco's reaction was a bit extreme, though.

Hermione wasn't the only one who couldn't believe their ears. Harry, having known the blonde for at least a little while longer, was just as shocked as the girl at his choice of words. Then he remembered his own first expression of Draco and he relaxed a bit.

"Don't worry, he's just joking," Harry reassured the girl while smiling uncertainly.

"Joking, why should I be joking?" Draco burst out, turning his glare at Harry. It had lost the previous aggression but was still fierce and Harry sank a bit deeper into the cushioned seat.

"Cut the act Draco," Harry demanded, still convinced that it was only a joke. An exceptionally crude one, but a joke nonetheless. "It's not funny anymore."

"It's not supposed to be funny," Draco snapped. "She's a Mudblood, this is not a place for filth like her." He had returned his attention to the girl. Hard grey eyes met frightened brown eyes in a one-sided battle of will. Hermione looked like she wanted nothing more than to disappear, to sink into her seat and never emerge again. Draco wanted the exact same for her. Neville sent uncomfortable looks between Draco and Hermione, but he wouldn't interfere. Ultimately it was a decision between a girl he had just met and a good friend. There was no doubt who he'd choose

"What are you waiting for, get lost already." Draco barked at the distraught girl adding the last straw.

Hermione's eyes started to water and she quickly got up, ready to flee from the compartment. She would have succeeded if it wasn't for Harry to gently grab her hand and pull her back on the seat next to him.

"Don't go, Hermione, please don't go," Harry begged, looking into those large brown eyes filled with unshed tears. He knew Hermione didn't want to cry in front of them, her pride wouldn't allow that. But he couldn't let her go. If she walked out now, he would lose her.

"B-but they don't want me here, it's better I just leave," Hermione sniffed, turning away from Harry to hide the tears that were now escaping her eyes.

"I don't care," Harry whispered just loud enough for the girl to understand. He was ignoring both the sneer from Draco and the apologetic look by Neville. Instead, all his focus was on the girl next to him.

"Hermione, look at me. Please," he said and reached out with his free hand touching her soft cheek. It was a bold move, Harry knew, but when he felt the wetness on her soft skin he didn't regret his action. She needed him right now as her first and best friend. Harry was more than ready to give her exactly the reassurance that she so desperately required.

Hermione didn't flinch at his touch and Harry counted this as a good sign. When she slowly turned back at him he could see her tear-stained face, her gaze cast downwards, away from his.

"Please don't leave me, I don't want you to go," Harry said soothingly, unconsciously caressing her hand. After some long seconds, Hermione finally raised her gaze. Gone was the gleam in her eyes, they had sparkled in curiosity and awe and happiness. He wanted to see those emotions again, hated this desperate and dejected look he witnessed now.

"You're better off without me. You heard him, I'm just a mudblood who is imposing on you." Her tears had stopped, only the bloodshot eyes and the wet lines across her face reminded of her breakdown. However, Harry saw a new emotion on her face that he couldn't quite place. _Determination or maybe… acceptance? No, definitely acceptance. Like all fight has lost her and she was trying to save at least her dignity._

"Finally you realized that," Draco exclaimed, grinning victoriously. "Do us all a favour and…"

"Shut up," Harry hissed through clenched teeth. He was sick of Draco's cruelty towards his friend. Nothing he said was true, far from it. Hermione was nice and funny and most definitely didn't impose on him. _And what's that with the mudblood, what kind of insult is that… No, I don't think I want to know._

"I don't care what you think because you're wrong."

"No, I'm not because she _is_ a mudblood. An ugly one at that."

Pure rage flooded his mind and Harry had to use all his willpower not to physically lash out at the blonde. _How dare he talk like that to Hermione._

"I'll give you two options. Either you _beg_ for her forgiveness or you _get the hell out of here_! " Harry's voice was cold as ice, leaving no room for contradiction.

"Why are you even defending her? She's only a…"

"Finish this sentence and you'll lose even your last chance. As for why? She's my best friend, a better one than you'll ever be."

"Don't b-be a brat, Draco. Y-you're acting l-like your f-father." It the first time Neville spoke up but he knew exactly what he needed to say for Draco to reconsider his actions.

And that is how it came to Draco's first genuflection for a girl. It wouldn't be his last…

A/N:

Thank you for such an overwhelming response on the first chapter. It really inspired me to continue onwards with the story, hopefully with faster updates in the future.

To the anonymous Reviewer who complained about Weasley bashing... I didn't even mention the name Weasley anywhere throughout the story so I wouldn't really count this as a Weasley-bashing development.


	3. Golden Lion on Red Ground

A/N: Finally, the next chapter is ready. I changed my mind about the plot quite a few times, so it took me a lot longer to finish this chapter (you won't see much of this for now, but the next chapter will bring some drastic changes). Yet, I cannot help but be satisfied with how the story goes. The next chapters will focus more on actually pushing the plot forward, so stay tuned.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

Harmonian Stars

Golden Lion on Red Ground

The boat glided smoothly through the dark water, its path undisturbed by the small waves pushing against the wooden planks. Only the moon above and in the water illuminated the lake; the small lanterns were barely enough to lighten the boat itself. It was a warm night, yet the light breeze still sent goosebumps across Harry's skin.

He was staring in wonder into the blackness around him. Harry had never been on a ship and most certainly not on a small rowing boat with his friends. They didn't have to row the boat with their own physical strength; the ship was moving on its own, driven and navigated by magic. The pair of rows were only decoration. They moved, but they didn't really push the boat forward. Draco had even gone as far as to grab one of the paddles and had pulled it out of the water. It had still moved relentlessly, but instead of water the paddle only hit air. All that time, the direction never changed as it would have, had it been a normal boat.

Harry was sharing the boat with Neville, Draco and Hermione. And while the tension between them was still almost palpable Harry was glad that no stranger was with them. It had been a long day already and Harry didn't feel like socializing any longer. He was tired and hungry and while he was no stranger to that gnawing feeling in his stomach he was definitely no fan of it either. All he had eaten the entire day was half an open sandwich since Hermione insisted on sharing hers. There hadn't even been any breakfast for him since his uncle wanted him gone as quickly as possible.

The others weren't faring any better, though. None of the pure-blooded boys had the foresight to pack anything to eat. Although they had a generous breakfast, they were used to at least 3 meals a day, not only one. Hermione's mother had packed her a snack for the trip, but it was meant for only one person and Hermione had never been a heavy eater. Still, it had been a welcoming relief to finally fill his empty stomach.

Suddenly, though, all thoughts about food and sleep were forgotten. One moment the boat was just floating through the calm water and the next the castle was visible in all its glory.

"Woah, it's huge," Neville voiced what everyone thought. "I didn't expect it to be so large. And so bright."

Indeed, hundreds of lights illuminated the castle. They peeked through the countless of windows, presenting an impressive view on the school. The nearly full moon only enhanced the sight as the highest towers drew their silhouette against its bright body. Hogwarts sat enthroned on a huge cliff, towering above the children. It was a wondrous sight, mysterious and fascinating alike but also a bit scary. _I feel so small, so_ insignificant _compared to Hogwarts. I still can't believe this is all real and not just a sweet dream. Am I even worthy of entering? What if they decide that I must leave again?_

He recalled his status as a celebrity to calm his nerves; for once he was glad that he was famous. They couldn't refuse him, could they? _What if all my classmates hate me? Or the teachers? Which house will I be in?_ His thoughts haunted him, creating horrible scenarios in his mind. He tried to shake them off, but they kept coming, getting stronger and more painful to think about. They finally climaxed at one thought. _What if I will be alone? If we get separated and I'll never see my friends again. What if Hermione gets send back because she's not from a magical family. What if I'll be alone…_

Harry was afraid. Afraid of getting his hopes crushed. Afraid of failing at school. But more so, he was afraid that nothing would change. He didn't want his life to stay as miserable as it had been for as long as he could remember. He wanted to have fun with his friends, to spend time doing whatever he liked without fear of punishment. He wanted to learn magic and potioneering and everything else the school had to offer. _I don't know if I can stand yet another disappointment, another rejection. I can't go on like this forever…_

Harry felt a nudge on his left hand and instinctively took the offered hand in his own. The physical contact helped him to relax, pushing his worries aside for the moment. Only now that he got his anxiety under control he realized he had been shaking and not from the cold air. He glanced sideways and his green eyes met Hermione's brown eyes. She smiled and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. Whether it was meant to calm his nerves or her own Harry didn't know, but he didn't care either. It was exactly what he needed. He was glad that he could count on his best friend when he felt troubled.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine," Hermione whispered, just loud enough for Harry to understand. "Somehow this will all work out. We're not the first students without any magical background knowledge."

"I know but it's hard to really convince myself. I simply can't see myself as a wizard, it's so unreal."

"You'll be a great wizard, I'm sure," Hermione said reassuringly and squeezed his hand tighter.

"Not as good as you'll be," Harry teased the girl. He knew she'd already read all the books at least once hence, unlike him, Hermione would be at least somewhat prepared. "We'll just try our best. What else can we do?"

The rest of the trip was rather unexciting. All students had left their boats at the small boat-house at the shore of the lake – it was a small shack, if the boats weren't magically stacking themselves they wouldn't fit inside – then Hagrid had herded them up a torch-lit path towards the castle.

* * *

"Now remember, you enter the Great Hall in pairs and stop before the small podium at the front. When you have all arrived, I'll call you forward by alphabetical order. Then you'll be sorted into your houses. And don't dally, the faster the sorting the faster the feast will start."

The students had finally entered the castle where they had been welcomed by an elderly witch who had introduced herself as Professor McGonagall. She looked exactly like Harry had pictured a witch before he knew about the magical world. Old and stern, clad in a black robe that concealed her entire body. But her most prominent feature was her tall, pointed hat. It was black, of course, and looked like it was taken right from a children's fairytale. _The only thing that's missing is the cat._

Harry chose to enter the hall with Hermione. They were at the centre of the crowd of first-years and were glad that neither had to enter as the first student or last. When the large portal finally opened – magically, of course, because of its sheer size and weight – Harry started getting nervous again. _That's an awfully eventful evening, so much depends on those next few minutes._ Beside him, Hermione was clutching the hem of her robes tightly until her knuckles turned white and even then her grip didn't seem to loosen. _She must be just as nervous as me. Maybe even more so giving her unpleasant encounter with Draco. What if we get separated and her house doesn't accept her? Are there more students who share Draco's opinion? I don't want her to be unhappy._

His thoughts turned into a different direction, instead of worrying about himself he was rather worried about his friend next to him. It was hardly a change for the better, though, and didn't help to keep his nerves in check. However, it did present him with a possible solution, one he had witnessed first hand a few minutes ago in the boat.

Without thinking too much about what he was doing, he touched Hermione's hand with his own, hoping to calm both Hermione's and his own nerves like the girl did earlier. The effect was instantaneous but more painful than he had anticipated. Within moments Hermione had changed from clutching her robes to clutching his hand, though her grip didn't lighten the slightest. _Ouuuh, my poor fingers, what did they do to deserve that? At least I'm not so worried about entering the hall anymore, only about getting my hand crushed. I can already feel it going numb…_ Indeed, he missed nearly half of the procession and would have even missed his own turn if it was not for Hermione to drag him into the hall. And finally, her grip loosened enough for Harry to regain at least some feelings in his tortured limb.

The Great Hall was huge, but that didn't come as a surprise – given the humongous door, the hall was bound to be just as massive just to fit the proportions. What he didn't expect though, and that was what caused his jaw to drop open, was the magically enchanted ceiling. It showed the sky in its purest state, without any clouds to hide the stars, like he was on an open field, not in a roofed building.

"It's an enchanted ceiling," Hermione answered his unasked question. "It only gives an illusion of an open sky. In 'Hogwarts a History' it says that the weather changes with the general mood of the students and teachers."

"The castle can read our minds?" Harry wondered while staring in awe at the breathtaking sight above him.

"Apparently it can," Hermione said after a short pause. "That's not written in any of the books; I'm not sure to what extend Hogwarts can read our minds."

"Don't worry too much about it, it can't be that bad. Otherwise, there would have been tons of complaints about the school by the more influential families."

"You're right, it's probably nothing to be concerned about. In any case, it's easy enough to read one's thoughts through Legilimency."

"Legi- what?"

"Legilimency," Hermione said, falling into her lecture-mode that Harry had caught a glimpse at earlier the day when they had discussed his supposedly heroic childhood. "That's a branch of magic focusing on the invasion of another person's mind. It's supposedly easy to learn, but only a powerful witch or wizard can use it effectively. That is if the other doesn't know about Occlumency, the magical counterpart of Legilimency. The main idea behind Occlumency is to defend your mind against foreign invasions…"

Neither of them had noticed that they had already arrived at the front of the Great Hall until Hermione bumped into the student before her who had obediently stopped in front of the podium as they were instructed to. The girl received an annoyed glare from the boy she had bumped into as well as from his neighbour but effectively stopped both herself and Harry from walking any further. Their hands were still intertwined and neither of them had any intention to do anything about it.

* * *

"Hannah Abbot, please step forward," Professor McGonagall called out and the young girl timidly moved towards the elderly witch. She looked nervous but tried to keep her steps steady to show her determination to get sorted. Professor McGonagall welcomed her with a smile and soothing words, too silent for Harry to understand. Quickly, Hannah sat down on the chair that had been prepared for the sorting and the professor gently lowered a gigantic hat on her head. It was an ugly thing, old and worn. A deep gash went right through the fabric and the once pointy end of the hat had long lost its fight against gravity, hanging pitifully over the front. That was until the hat suddenly moved.

At first, it was barely noticeable, a slight jerk to the left, smoothing of the most prominent folds. Then, suddenly, the hat straightened. The pointy end shot upwards to where any decent hat should point and the ripped part changed form to resemble a mouth-like opening in the fabric. When the folds created a set of eyes, Harry instinctively knew that the transformation had come to an end.

For a few seconds, the hat did nothing. And then, out of nowhere it shouted a glorious "Hufflepuff" and looked as content as a hat could look. Under thundering cheering – mostly from the Hufflepuff table and not so much from the Slytherin side of the hall – the freshly made Hufflepuff student skipped towards her fellow housemates, a happy grin plastered on her face.

The first successful sorting seemed to have broken the tense atmosphere among the soon-to-be students. One by one they were called to the front to get sorted into their houses and neither seemed as anxious as Hannah had been. Tired as he was, Harry only passively followed the ceremony; there were so many students he didn't know, and quite frankly didn't care about. They were strangers to him and while he was sure he'd meet most of them in class, right now it was much too troublesome to memorize all the names and the respective house.

"Hermione Granger," the professor called upon the next to Harry and a sudden wave of anticipation washed over him. He was alert now, not wanting to miss the sorting of his friend. He gently squeezed her hand and gave a reassuring smile that Hermione returned. Her eyes were full of emotions, excitement and anticipation but also anxiety and a hint of… dread? Whatever it was, it was gone in moments when Hermione walked towards Professor McGonagall. She kept her head tall clearly trying to be confident. It worked, mostly, and if Harry didn't know better he'd have guessed she wasn't nervous at all. _I hope you'll find happiness, wherever you end up. Also, I hope we will belong to the same house, I would hate to lose you that soon._

Harry could almost feel Hermione's gaze lingering on him as she sat down on the uncomfortable chair at the front of the hall. Their eyes met and brought a tiny smile on the girl's face. Then her attention was drawn to the large, speaking hat.

The hat took its sweet time with the sorting, but it didn't seem too uncommon; no one mentioned anything and he was sure that somebody would whisper if the sorting took exceptionally long. _It's probably just me being impatient._

"GRYFFINDOR" was the house which the sorting hat thought appropriate. Hermione quickly bounced from the chair, and accompanied by applause, moved to the Gryffindor table. Harry cheered the loudest – or so he liked to think. He was happy for his friend especially since she looked so happy when the hat announced her house. Gone was the fake confidence he had witnessed just moments ago, instead, a happy grin adorned her face.

Hermione stole a glance at Harry when she passed the crowd of waiting students and Harry only cheered harder. He grinned back and gave her a quick thumbs-up, but returned to clapping. Her eyes lit up at his sign and Harry felt like melting under her gaze. He felt warm, but it was a good warmth, spreading from his chest and sending goosebumps across his skin. Like the feeling of a warm blanket on a cold night. It was a special feeling and Harry hadn't experienced anything like it before. Yet he wasn't scared, on the opposite, he felt better than he had felt in a long time. Happy and secure and… loved? _This is so foreign but at the same time, I want this feeling to stay forever._

Harry's eyes followed his friend to the Gryffindor table where she sat down next to the Gryffindor sorted just before her. _Seamus Billigan or Cinnigon, something like that. No that can't be right, we're called upon alphabetically…_

Either way, Harry didn't care all too much about who the boy was. He'd been clapping cheerfully like everyone else on the table and quickly engaged the girl in a conversation. Harry knew that Hermione had been afraid of rejection; seeing her so relaxed with her peer was exactly what he wished for his friend.

"Neville Longbottom!" After a few more and rather quick sortings it was finally the turn of Harry's next friend. Although, Neville really didn't look happy to get called to the front; he was trembling as he hastily stepped forward and almost tripped over his own feet. Stumbling, he quickly dropped on the chair to avoid further embarrassment and the hat was lowered on his head. _Good luck, Neville. You deserve the house of your dreams._

He didn't have to wait long; after a few seconds the hat roared "GRYFFINDOR" and the hall erupted in applause. It was one of the fastest sortings and by his face, it took Neville by surprise. Whether it was the choice of house or just the fact that the excitement (Neville would have probably described it as "horror ") was already over, Harry didn't know but the relieve was clearly written on Neville's face.

 _I really hope to get sorted into Gryffindor as well; two of my best friends are already there._ Harry though when Neville stumbled towards the red side of the hall. Although still not graceful, his steps seemed more confident than before and he didn't trip once.

Draco's sorting was a different matter entirely. It took long, abnormally so; the students had long started whispering and even Professor McGonagall shot concerned glances towards the rest of the staff. And when the hat finally finished with a shout of "Gryffindor" an almost eerily silence fell over the hall. Of course, there was the occasional cheering from some of the younger students – Harry himself included – but even they grew silent as the hall remained still. Not even the Gryffindor-table made any step to applause. That was, until Neville – the same timid Neville who they'd only barely convinced to enter their compartment and couldn't force a sentence through his lips without stuttering – stood up and initiated an applause, louder than anyone else sorted in Gryffindor had received.

Disbelieve was clearly written on the blonde's face. His eyes were almost comically wide and he was gaping into the crowd as if he had just won the main price in a lottery he hadn't even signed up for – or lost where he'd been sure to win. Harry couldn't tell if Draco's expression was of a positive or negative nature, only the unexpectedness of the hat's decision was undisputable. Several times he turned towards the green banners of the Slytherin-table which had stayed silent, of course, like they did with everyone sorted to Gryffindor. But when he finally turned to leave to towards the Gryffindor‑side of the hall, a proud smile was on his face and his eyes shone with happiness but also with admiration for his loyal friend.

He sat down next to Neville which was to be expected and received a comradely pat on the shoulder from his best friend. It was heart-warming to watch – no romance involved but pure joy on being united with a lifelong friend. A smile crept on Harry's face as he watched them happily chattering, even Draco and Hermione seemed to get along quite nicely – considering the tension between them after their nasty first encounter it was rather surprising, but his smile had a wry aftertaste as his longing for the house of Gryffindor grew more prominent than ever.

It was no wonder that, after Harry's name was called, his legs felt like jelly as he moved to the front. He could feel hundreds of eyes on him and it made him feel even worse; he'd never been fond of attention – it usually meant he was in trouble at school or in trouble at the Dursleys – and stuck to the background if possible. There was nowhere to hide now, the only path forward ended at the sorting hat which would decide over his fate.

The hat looked old, but even more so it _felt_ old. The rough fabric brushed uncomfortably against Harry's neck and it hadn't even moved yet. You clearly weren't supposed to wear it for an extended period. _Still, it's talking; why shouldn't it be worn. It's a hat- I mean, what else do you do with a hat?_

 ** _"_** ** _Excuse me, lad! I'm not old, just a bit rough around the edges. A thousand years do that to you, I can tell you. I want to see how you look in a thousand years, all bony and- but I digress."_**

 _W-what's going on? Who are- are you the sorting hat? B-but… How?_ And unconsciously Harry added _Can you even see me?_ To his list of incoherently stuttered questions. All in his mind, of course, but that didn't mean much with a hat who can read your brain like a book.

 ** _"_** ** _Why are you picking on all of my soft-spots? Old and blind and rough – that's what you get when you're ancient. Each year the same fuss; insulting students begging for a house. I don't know why I'm still sticking around."_**

 _What else would you do?_ Again, Harry's mind betrayed him before he could stop himself.

 **"** **I heard that!"**

 _I'm sorry._ Harry thought, trying to sound as apologetic as he could.

 ** _"_** ** _I know, boy, I can read your mind. So, let's get back to business- "_**

 _Or rather finally start with the sorting._ Harry thought.

 ** _"_** ** _Merlin's beard, quit interrupting me or I can never get off your head. You think it's funny to wait the whole year for some excitement and then being stuck with some brat? It's not! But I'll still assign you a house- be grateful for that."_**

 _I am, really, I…_

 ** _"_** ** _I_** **know** ** _, I've told you before I can read your mind! Now shut up and let me do my job."_** The hat complained. Not for the first time, Harry instinctively watched his fellow soon-to-be classmates for some reaction. He found none, fortunately. It would have been truly embarrassing if anyone listened in on the 'discussion'.

 ** _"_** ** _Let's see. Mmmh, that's difficult. You're made for great things, but where do I put you… Loyalty, mmmh, yes you'd flourish in Hufflepuff. Or better Ravenclaw? You're not as dense as I first thought…_**

 _You know I_ do _understand you…_

 ** _Of course, I do, why do you think I- why do I even bother? Not Ravenclaw, it seems, no, that wouldn't be the best. Slytherin neither, you're too honest and straightforward. Although I can feel something lingering there, deep inside of you- a cunning streak perhaps? Regardless, you'll not be in Slytherin._**

 ** _What about Gryffindor? Bravery and gallantry and… ooh, I see! Your friends draw you to the Lion. You don't want to lose them and you don't want let them down either. That's not bravery, that's loyalty; better Hufflepuff- no, that doesn't work, how can you be loyal when you're in another house? But Gryffindor… Merlin, why does this job has to be such a pain?_**

 ** _You're awfully quiet, don't you want to have a say in where you'll end up?"_**

 _Do I even have a choice?_

 ** _"_** ** _Of course you do! I cannot force someone into a house if they don't want to. Also, only those difficult cases like your's need a second opinion."_**

 _Can't you simply read my mind and know, what I'll choose?_

 ** _"_** ** _Sure, I could. But in the end, you'll blame me if you end up unhappy with the choice, hence I prefer to let the students choose by themselves."_**

 _You mean it? Can_ I _choose my house? That's really nice of you._

 ** _"_** ** _Heh, I'm not a mean hat, you know. But it's fun messing around with you. Go on, choose your house. Keep in mind, though, that it's your choice altogether. I can give well meant advise but in the end, you'll choose your own future."_**

 _Then I choose Gryffindor._

 ** _"_** ** _So be it!"_**

"GRYFFINDOR!"

* * *

The cushions were soft, the blanket warm and Harry felt at peace for the first time since the day had started.

 _This is what home must feel like. Even this unfamiliar environment I feel better than- actually since I can remember. Heck, this bed is larger than my entire 'room' back at the Dursleys. And I have friends, finally, Hermione, Draco and Neville._ He smiled and it was a true smile. _How long I have waited for this moment…_

It was more than he had ever hoped. Overwhelming but in a good way; one day he had felt like a prisoner in his cupboard and the next he was living with his friends in a castle. _No one would believe this if I ever told someone. I myself wouldn't trust my own words if I didn't know the truth. What happened today is a story you'd find in those fantasy novels at the library; even now I still expect to wake up from this pleasant dream. Yet here I am, definitely not dreaming but living this dream. Curse the one who tries to wake me. I know I can, because I'm a wizard…_


	4. Skywards

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

Harmonian Stars

Skywards

Magic, Harry figured out after only a few lessons, was something magnificent. Working with his wand in Transfiguration- and Charms-Classes was possibly the most exciting thing he'd ever done in his life. It was foreign, yet it brought him joy unlike anything else. Sure, his list of joyful activities as a child was… short to stay polite, but nevertheless, Harry wouldn't trade his magic for anything in the world. Most spells came naturally to him and for the first time, he received praise from the teachers and students instead of a scolding.

What did not come naturally to him was potions. It was a difficult subject, and though not too different from cooking, a certain precision and a wide understanding of ingredients and methods were necessary for even the simplest of tasks. Unfortunately, Harry had neither. Gone was the instinctual flow of his magic as no wand was used for a potion, only the cauldron, stirrer, and the ingredients. Despite all this, Potions-Class could still have been an interesting and maybe even fun subject – like you'd enjoy a challenging riddle. It was the teacher who made this class such a tedious experience.

Professor Snape was biased, impatient, unforgiving and had an obvious hatred for children regardless of house, gender, or ancestry. The only one he remotely fair to was Draco – his godson he'd learned later. Whyever he became a teacher was a mystery to everyone, only incompetence could possibly make him worse. However bad a teacher, though, the professor was a master of his trade – a fact that made his choice of profession even more astounding.

The first two weeks were challenging. Without proper knowledge of the castle, they more than once stumbled through empty corridors, hoping to find the correct classroom. Only the integrated map in 'Hogwarts: A History', Hermione's beloved book she always carried with her, saved them from getting lost completely. It was mainly due to the moving staircases; they seemed to always turn wherever you didn't want to go thus making it a real challenge to walk from one classroom to the next. The older students didn't have such a problem it seemed, as they never complained about the flying stairs.

In class, the four friends usually sat together. Draco always made sure, though, to put as much space between himself and Hermione, meaning that Harry and Neville chose the middle seats whereas Hermione chose to sit at the aisle and Draco right next to the windows – or wall if the room didn't have any windows.

Again, only Potion-Class was an exception; the students sat in pairs and Snape had made sure to mix the class to pair a Gryffindor with a Slytherin student. He knew, of course, of the mutual rivalry between both houses and the almost palpable hatred between lions and snakes – though most times it was a Slytherin who'd despise his Gryffindor partner, not the other way around. That was the exact reason for his choice of pairs. Only Draco – and indirectly Harry – got lucky enough to stay together as there were more students from Gryffindor than from Slytherin. Although luck certainly didn't play a big part in Snape's decision. Hermione was paired with Daphne Greengrass, a cold girl, never smiling, never even talking to Hermione. Neville's partner was Pansy Parkinson, the exact opposite of Daphne. She was always complaining in her shrill voice, about Neville, the ugly insect parts they had to cut or squash and the damp classroom that ruined her hair.

The other exception was the flying lesson as there wasn't even a classroom to begin with. It was the first one of the year, as the teachers had decided on starting the lesson a bit later after the students had settled in the school for a bit longer. It was an afternoon-lesson and the sun had already started to set as the students gathered around the teacher at one of the large schoolyards.

"I can't believe we're really going to learn how to fly," Harry whispered excitedly at his bushy-haired friend. "We're going to fly like the witches we know from fairy tales. On a real broom. Now we'd just need a hat like Professor McGonagall has."

The flying lesson was one Harry had looked forward too since the beginning of the year. The idea of cruising through the air was enticing to the boy. The freedom of flying was something he'd imagined more than once as a child, today it would become reality.

"Good afternoon class," the professor said to an excited audience. "I'm Professor Hooch and will be teaching you the art of flying. Flying is a difficult profession as you need to be strong in both body and mind yet, it can be one of the most rewarding magical branches. Used in both sports and common traversing, riding a broom displays a perfect combination of modern technology and traditional technique. In this lesson, you'll get the chance to learn the basics of flying. Don't be disappointed," she added at some loud groans from various students. "The basics are, after all, the fundament of mastery. Don't think that talent is exclusively for those who have it in their blood, it is the fruit of hard work. Professionals like 'the Talon' or the Irish Chaser Troy were once just where you are, children all green behind their ears; the former had started his career right here, under my tutelage and look where it got him. Years of relentless training showed him his way to the top of the league.

"I don't expect another prodigy so soon, but I believe that if you try hard enough, each and every one of you can have a run for a position on the Quidditch team as soon as you hit the second year. Now, grab a broom and form a line, Slytherins to the left, Gryffindors to the right."

Harry glanced at Hermione, flashing her a huge grin. He felt all giddy inside at the idea of flying and felt like sharing his excitement with everybody. And it was contagious, really, as most students rushed forward to grab a broom, yelling and laughing like in no other class before. A bunch of brooms was floating next to Professor Hooch, one for each student. They were nothing like the ordinary brooms Harry knew. Made of dark wood with even darker bristles and with an elegant design, they looked like hand-crafted masterpieces. They seemed useless for cleaning, bristles too compact in a cylindrical shape for less air-resistance, but that was not their purpose. The broomstick felt _right_ in Harry's hand, neither too thin nor too thick. It made Harry wonder if they were charmed to fit the user's hand, but disregarded the thought quickly as he witnessed a Slytherin classmate with huge hands trying to handle his delicate broom.

There was no coordination whatsoever, students were almost trampling each other to get a broom. How Harry got one without any trouble he didn't know, but he cared little as his broom seemed to fit perfectly. There was no need to go back into the crowd for a better-suited broom. Soon most people have found a suited broomstick, even Hermione who had to change hers half a dozen times because they were all too large for her. Only two Slytherin boys had troubles, the one Harry saw earlier and his almost twin – they were both more than a head taller than Harry and twice as wide with hands as large as his head. No wonder they didn't find a suitable broom. Professor Hooch, however, had a solution for even those two. She simply summoned two larger brooms from the castle, probably made for third years or higher, and handed them over with a stern warning not to break them.

"And never try to enlarge a broom", she said, addressing the whole class. "The unexpected may occur to those who experiment with brooms without mastering the craft. Some achieved never-seen speeds only to have their brooms shattered right under them in mid-flight. Most times, though, the broom is just ruined to the point of not flying at all, which is truly a waste."

As the lines were finished, the practical part of the lesson started. But like every practical lesson, it started with yet another lecture.

"To create the connection between wizard and broom is the most important skill every aspiring flyer needs to learn. Without the connection, the broom is but a mindless tool, charmed to fly but without control. Your magic is what forces the broom under your control. Like a wild Gryphon you need to tame it, once the deed is done, though, it will be your most loyal follower. This will be the most primal part of my lesson. You need to reach out with your magic, _feel_ the broom and channel your will into its core. Once you've connected with the broom, say 'up', firm and powerful. If the connection is finished, your broom will obey and jump into your hand.

"Now, this will come more instinctive to some of you and less to others. I can't be with each of you at once so I need you to help each other out, otherwise, none of you will get the chance to fly today. Who has already flown a broom?"

No one raised his hand.

"Aww, come on, I know it's essentially illegal for a minor to fly a broom outside of Hogwarts, but no one has cared for centuries. As long as muggles and Aurors don't see you, it's fine. I'd actually even expect you to train during Hollydays. Wouldn't want you to get out of shape, ne?"

This time almost all of Slytherin raised their hand and four Gryffindor students. The professor eyed the students suspiciously, especially the few Slytherins who hadn't raised their hand, then sighed.

"So, what's the chance of any Slytherin helping a Griffindor out?" she asked the rhetorical question. Everyone knew that the rivalry between the houses regarding Quidditch was unprecedented, especially between those two houses. No one would help each other and even if they would, the rest of the house would quickly bully them into not helping.

"Fine, let's see how you get along with these brooms, they are a lot less expensive than what you're used to, I expect. But sturdy as hell, survived 50 years of students and will survive 50 more."

* * *

After that, it was only a short step till the actual flying began.

"Just push off the ground as hard as you can, the broom will do everything else. If done correctly, you'll hover a few feet above the ground. Then you can start giving directions by pulling the broomstick. To speed up, just let your magic do the work. It's harder to explain than actually doing, so I think you'll be fine. Now off into the air you go."

That was the signal Harry had waited for. With a strong push, he transported both him and the broom into the air. He half expected to crash right down again, but to his surprise, his momentum stopped mid-air. It felt like sitting on a tree branch only without the tree. _And without Aunt Marge's little dog-demon barking like crazy and trying to bite me._

Harry moved a bit on his broom, trying to get a feeling of how stable the stick was floating. And stable it was, never wavering once, even as he shifted his weight to the right and left. To his great surprise, he felt stable as well. There was no fear of slipping off the broom and falling, Harry felt comfortable like sitting in a chair. _But this chair can fly._

And fly he did. First slowly, testing the waters – well, the air – with basic forward and sideward movements. He learned quickly that the broom could only move forwards and pulling the broomstick in one direction by leaning on one side would result in a curve.

As Harry grew more comfortable handling the broom, he also became bolder, starting to increase both his speed and hight. He was quickly joined by Draco and Neville, who both already had experience in flying. They were circling around him, not mockingly but prompting him to go yet a bit faster and even higher. They were laughing together as they flew above the school grounds. It was an exhilarating feeling of freedom and Harry felt great. There was no way, he'd ever give up flying. In the air, there were literally no borders, no restrictions, and no expectations. The professor didn't even give any rules about where to fly or not.

"You're a natural, Harry, did you know that," Draco said to his friend as they were watching the rest of the students below them. They were by far the highest up in the sky, 100 feet or more, and were enjoying the sight. For the first time, all of them had an idea of where Hogwarts really was. Sure, they'd known it was in Scotland, somewhere, but they could see the great lake now, stretching from the shore of the steep cliff on which the castle throned far till the horizon. It was surrounded by mountains, tall enough to see the snow-capped peaks even early in autumn. There was the forbidden forest at the foot of Hogwart's hill. A single hut stood right on its edge, and a huge field of - _something_ , maybe pumpkins or giant melons separated it from the castle. A really steep path led downwards through the field.

A massive bridge led over the gorge that marked the end of the great lake and connected Hogwarts with whatever laid behind the next hill. It was a strange construct, a wooden arch bridge, though the construction nearly filled the entire ravine. And it was roofed.

"I don't care. This is great."

"It is." Neville agreed. "I h-hadn't expected Hogwarts t-to be so f-fascinating. I m-mean such an impressive c-castle and all. S-sure, the s-sight from the b-boat was magnificent, but t-this is even b-better."

On that, everyone agreed. The sight from the boat was breathtaking, especially since it had been night and the castle-lights had illuminated the school brilliantly. Yet it couldn't keep up with this bird's-eye view over almost the entire school and beyond. The school itself was beautiful, but so was the surrounding landscape. Together they made the picture perfect.

"Wait for me, please, I'm gonna check on Hermione," Harry said after a while. Enjoying the captivating sight, Harry had forgotten about the fourth member of his small circle of friends. He felt bad leaving her like this. Like Draco had said, Harry was a natural at flying, and both Draco and Neville had a lot of practice. Hermione had neither the superior experience nor the natural skill handling a flying broom, thus she was struggling with the exercise.

Swiftly returning to the ground, Harry quickly spotted his friend. His high position provided him with the perfect view over his classmates. Hermione was sitting on her broom half a metre in the air. She was slowly moving in circles, carefully navigating through the crowd to avoid crashing into her more reckless classmates. Harry waited for her to move to a less crowded area, then he slowly decreased hight until he reached Hermione's level.

"How are you doing with the broom, Hermione?"

To Hermione's credit, she didn't seem startled by his sudden appearance. She merely turned her head towards him, smiling.

"I'm doing great, I guess. It feels a little weird sitting above the ground but it's more comfortable than I had imagined."

"That's great. I'm sorry for leaving right away, but I was so excited."

"Don't apologise, there's nothing wrong with being excited. It is our first time flying, after all."

"True, but I also didn't wait if you needed any help."

"You're sweet, Harry," Hermione giggled. "But don't let me hold you back."

"You'd never hold me back. But you should really join us up there," he said and pointed to where Draco and Neville were waiting. "The view is brilliant. You can see the whole castle and the lake and the forbidden forest."

"I think I'd rather stay down here. I-, I don't really like high places…" Hermione said and looked away, embarrassed by her confession.

"Oh. But that's alright. We'll just have to explore the school-grounds by foot, someday." Harry said and moved to her other side so Hermione was facing him again.

"I'd love to. Just the four of us, going exploring."

"It will be a small adventure. It'll be fun."

They bickered around a little longer until Harry mentioned that Draco and Neville were still waiting for him. He didn't try to convince her to follow; she'd come when she was ready. And that was not on her very first day of flying. But he did coax her into flying at least a bit higher.

"Now, who wants to play tag?" Draco asked as Harry returned and both boys readily agreed. The rest of the lesson, they spent chasing each other through the air. It was fun and great practice. Harry lost most of the times to the more experienced flyers but didn't mind at all. He enjoyed his time flying. Whatever his future looked like, he decided, flying would definitely be a part of it.

* * *

The lesson continued till late in the evening – though it was less a lesson and more fooling around on their broom. Afterwards, the class went straight back to their respective common-room. Curfew was approaching slowly but steadily and neither wanted to spend any time at in detention, especially with the threat of spending time with the grumpy caretaker Filch and his terrifying cat.

The evenings were usually spent together doing something fun. There were no exams yet since they were only two weeks into the school year and the professors were generous and assigned little homework – aside from Professor Snape of course. Being the purebloods, Draco and Neville taught several games to Harry and Hermione and together they had enjoyed several matches of Wizards-Chess or Explosive-Snap. Usually, the other classmates would join in some games or initiate others; contact between the different years was limited though, despite practically living together. The Fifth-Years and higher appeared intimidating, and with the exception of the two prefects and the Headgirl, they were generally avoided by the first years. With the other years, it was rather the other way round. They would think it childish to hang out with 'little kids' or so they said.

The exception to this non-spoken rule were the Weasley twins, Fred and George. They mingled with every age-group and were notorious pranksters. And for some reason they sought Draco as they prime victim – behind their younger brother, that is. The pranks were all harmless and more annoying than humiliating. Also, they were never permanent or else Draco would have to spend longer than a few hours in the evening with strangely coloured hair, ranging from a brilliant baby-blue to bright orange. One day, after a notorious game of Wizards-Chess against Hermione, his king suddenly exploded after being check-mated in a cloud of multi-coloured dust replacing his usual well-combed, blond hair with a colour changing mob.

Despite his best efforts, Draco couldn't avoid all their pranks as they never assaulted him head-on. The twins were always very sneaky in their attempts, like with the chess pawn, and were never actually caught. However, everybody knew who the culprit was as they openly boasted with their success.

Today was nothing different. Returning from their flying lesson, the noise of a grunting pig sounded through the common room. There was no pig, of course, but a third or fourth-year student behaving like one. Literally. He was crawling on all fours through the room, grunting and oinking like an exceptionally miserable pig. He even had a pig's nose that seemed a bit too real to be just a mask.

"It is real," Fred – or was it George? – told the newcomers, correctly guessing their question. "There's even a fitting tail coming right out his butt."

"A masterpiece, don't you think, dear brother?"

"Of course. Only the best."

 _They are weird_ , Harry decided for himself and not for the first time. _And a bit crazy as well._

Despite being the victim of many a prank, Draco was actually their greatest fan out of the first-year students. He never explained why, though, and Harry was really curious how one could actually like being pranked. He'd been on the receiving end too, once, and while it had been funny at first to have your book growing a tongue and trying to lick your face, it had started to really get on his nerves until he had eventually put the book away and had gone to sleep.

"Good ol' Jordan. He looks better now, don't you think. That nose goes quite well with his eyes. And the tail. Don't get me started on the tail."

"Don't you think you overdid it this time. I mean it's funny and stuff, but not for our 'pig' there. That's quite humiliating." Draco said and pointed to where the third-year student was trying wallow in imaginary mud.

"Nah, it's fine. He lost a bet and knew the stakes. An hour as a pig to test our new Animal-Pills. And they work great. You want one?"

"You got different ones?"

"Not yet, the pig's just our prototype. But we're planning to introduce Lion-Pills, Hippo-Pills and a pill for a Grindylow."

"A Grindylow? I _need_ one of those. With breathing fire and everything?"

"If we can manage. It's still a bunch of work, though, and were trying not to burn anything own in the progress. We'll show you once it's finished."

"Thanks. I can't wait to try that."

As a reward for his enthusiasm, Draco did not get pranked this evening. That honour went to Ron, the unfortunate youngest Weasley.

Harry didn't know Ron well. He was a fellow classmate, but they hadn't spoken much. He usually hung out with Seamus and Dean and was terribly afraid of spiders – a fact that his twin-brothers were well aware of and shamelessly used against him. Also, he seemed quite a decent flyer, Harry found out earlier the day. Despite having no former experience – he didn't raise his hand at Professor Hooch's request – he seemed to be quite comfortable on his broom. Ron hadn't flown as high as Harry, but he had seen the red-head speeding around with his friends. Aside from that, Ron was essentially a stranger like everyone else in Gryffindor, except for his three friends. And the twins.

The rest of the evening was rather uneventful and they decided to go to bed early after their exhausting flying class.

* * *

It was two days later that the whispers started. Harry realized quickly that something was going on when the Professor's table stayed empty throughout the entire breakfast. That had never happened before. It was nothing new, that Professor Snape didn't appear at any meal, except for a special occasion or just to give detention to students who weren't behaving. Other than that, most professors regularly ate at the Great Hall. Not today, it seemed. The Professor's table stayed empty the entire morning and during lunch and even at dinner. And the longer the teachers stayed away, the faster the rumour mill was spinning.

 _"_ _They are planning a change in the OWL and NEWT System."_

 _"_ _No, only the Wizengamot can decide a change."_

 _"_ _It's there must be a thief. The Armour suits on the fourth floor are all gone."_

 _"_ _That's probably Peeves being a troublemaker again."_

 _"_ _Maybe Peeves died?"_

 _"_ _He's a ghost, idiot, he can't die. Even if, that would be rather a time to celebrate."_

 _"_ _Maybe a student died?"_

 _"_ _Or a teacher?"_

 _"_ _Or Filch's cat. What a_ tragedy _that would be."_

For the first time, the students cursed the weekend. There were no lessons, meaning the teachers were all but unapproachable, especially since they apparently didn't want to inform the students about what was going on. Also, the Daily-Prophet was only delivering the newspaper from Monday to Friday.

There was nothing else to do but wait.

When Monday came, breakfast was as lively as Harry had never seen before. It was like every student woke up extra early to not miss the revelation. The teacher's table was occupied, again, including Professor Snape, so everybody knew that there would be something important.

It came in form of the daily newspaper. Dozens of owls swarmed the Great Hall like every morning, indicating the arrival of the Daily Prophet. About half the students had a subscription to the newspaper, including Draco and Neville.

Without the need to urge them, they wordlessly passed the newspaper to Harry and Hermione after scanning the first article. Immediately Harry's gaze fell on the prominent frontline.

 **Sirius Black has broken out of Azkaban Prison**

A/N: Thank you for over 350 followers! I really appreciate the support.

Special Thanks to cdunn2010 for pointing out some inconsistencies with the books.

\- Fixed the issue with Krum (he's too young to be a professional flyer, now substituted by Troy) and the not yet existing Blast-Ended Skrewt (changed to the Grindylow).

\- Fixed some grammar- and spelling mistakes


End file.
